Clorinde-class submarine

The Clorinde-class submarines consisted of two boats that were built for the French Navy in the 1910s. Completed in 1917 during World War I, they played a small role in the war.

Cornélie (far fight) and Clorinde (far left) at Cherbourg, 1920
Class overview
Name	Clorinde
Builders	Arsenal de Rochefort
Operators	French Navy
Preceded by	Charles Brun
Succeeded by	Gustave Zédé class
Built	1911–1917
In service	1916–1926
In commission	1916–1926
Completed	2
Scrapped	2
General characteristics (as built)
Type	Submarine
Displacement	422 t (415 long tons) (surfaced) 574 t (565 long tons) (submerged)
Length	53.95 m (177 ft 0 in) (o/a)
Beam	5.1 m (16 ft 9 in) (deep)
Draft	3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
Installed power	400 PS (290 kW; 390 hp) diesel engines 350 PS (260 kW; 350 hp) electric motors
Propulsion	2 shafts; 2 diesels; 2 electric motors
Speed	13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) (surfaced) 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) (submerged)
Range	1,240 nmi (2,300 km; 1,430 mi) at 10.8 knots (20.0 km/h; 12.4 mph) (surfaced) 104 nmi (193 km; 120 mi) at 5.2 knots (9.6 km/h; 6.0 mph) (submerged)
Complement	27 crew
Armament	2 × 450 mm (17.7 in) external torpedo launchers 6 × single 450 mm Drzewiecki drop collars 1 × single 47 mm (1.9 in) deck gun

Design and description

The Clorinde class was built as part of the French Navy's 1909 building program,^[1] intended as improved versions of the Brumaire class. The boats displaced 422 metric tons (415 long tons) surfaced and 574 t (565 long tons) submerged. They had an overall length of 53.95 meters (177 ft 0 in), a beam of 5.1 meters (16 ft 9 in), and a draft of 3.5 meters (11 ft 6 in). Their crew numbered 27 officers and crewmen.^[2]

For surface running, the Clorinde-class boats were powered by a pair of two-cycle diesel engines, each driving one propeller shaft. The engines were intended to produce a total of 1,300 metric horsepower (1,282 bhp; 956 kW), but were generally only capable of 800 PS (789 bhp; 588 kW). During Cornélie's sea trials, her eight-cylinder MAN-Loire engines only produced 750 PS (740 bhp; 552 kW), enough for a speed of 13.4 knots (24.8 km/h; 15.4 mph) rather than the designed 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). The boats were generally capable of 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph) on the surface in service.^[2] When submerged each shaft was driven by a 350-metric-horsepower (345 bhp; 257 kW) electric motor.^[1] The designed speed underwater was 9.5 knots (17.6 km/h; 10.9 mph), but they only reached a speed of 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) from 608 shp (616 PS; 453 kW) during trials. The Clorindes had a maximum fuel capacity of 11,813 L (2,598 imp gal; 3,121 US gal) of fuel oil which gave them a surface endurance of 1,240 nautical miles (2,300 km; 1,430 mi) at 10.8 knots (20.0 km/h; 12.4 mph). Their submerged endurance was 104 nmi (193 km; 120 mi) at 5.2 knots (9.6 km/h; 6.0 mph).^[2]

The boats were armed with a total of eight 450-millimeter (17.7 in) torpedoes. Two of these were positioned in the bow in torpedo launchers angled outwards 4° 30'. The other six were located in external rotating Drzewiecki drop collars, three on each broadside that could traverse 100 degrees to the side of the boats. The boats were also equipped with a 47 mm (1.9 in) Mle 1885-1915 deck gun aft of the conning tower.^[2][3]

Ships

Name[4]	Launched[4]	Completed	Fate
Clorinde (Q90)	2 October 1913	17 September 1917	stricken, 15 January 1926
Cornélie (Q91)	29 October 1913	18 August 1916	stricken, 20 December 1926